Bye Bye DADT
Today the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, where gays and lesbians can join the military as long as they stay in the closet, is ended. The policy, started in 1994 under Bill Clinton, has been controversial since the start. It was regarded at the time as an advance for LGBT rights, allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military, though of course they were not permitted the same self-expression as their straight colleagues.
The bill was repealed by Congress in July of this year, with the repeal to take effect September 20th. Today.
It seems reasonable to quote Stars and Stripes on this one:
A "sexual-orientation-neutral environment." That seems ideal, doesn't it?
A person's sexual orientation only matters if you are thinking of getting involved in a romantic relationship with them. And in that case, you might ask them out and find they are not interested in you for a surprising reason. At least you don't have to take it personally. The only other way it would make a difference would be if you held some stereotyped beliefs that LGBT people are somehow different from you in an important way, and that bothered you. And that, when you get down to it, is your own problem.
It seems like the easiest thing in the world to implement this transition. You don't need training, or special policies, in fact all the special policies can be shredded now. All they have to do is stop firing people.
Today let's congratulate all those who worked so hard for equality in the military.
The bill was repealed by Congress in July of this year, with the repeal to take effect September 20th. Today.
It seems reasonable to quote Stars and Stripes on this one:
The military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” law ends Tuesday, allowing openly gay troops to serve for the first time and marking one of the most dramatic personnel changes in U.S. military history.
But despite the significance, defense officials have spent weeks downplaying the actual impact of the change, insisting that for gay and straight troops the repeal will still mean business as usual.
Pentagon leaders and the White House on Tuesday will acknowledge the end of the 18-year-old law — the basis for the dismissal of roughly 14,000 gay servicemembers — and last year’s contentious debate repealing it.
But, other than a few news conferences, no formal military events or instructions are planned. Pentagon officials said Monday that 2.25 million troops have completed training briefings on the rule changes since last spring, and no new sessions or advisories are expected after repeal.
In July, when the Sept. 20 repeal date was announced, Defense Department General Counsel Jeh Johnson said that he expected the changeover to be “as smooth as possible. What we believe we’ve done here is create a sexual-orientation-neutral environment in which all members can operate, do their jobs, serve in their units with dignity, professionalism and respect.” On eve of DADT repeal, it's business as usual for military
A "sexual-orientation-neutral environment." That seems ideal, doesn't it?
A person's sexual orientation only matters if you are thinking of getting involved in a romantic relationship with them. And in that case, you might ask them out and find they are not interested in you for a surprising reason. At least you don't have to take it personally. The only other way it would make a difference would be if you held some stereotyped beliefs that LGBT people are somehow different from you in an important way, and that bothered you. And that, when you get down to it, is your own problem.
It seems like the easiest thing in the world to implement this transition. You don't need training, or special policies, in fact all the special policies can be shredded now. All they have to do is stop firing people.
Today let's congratulate all those who worked so hard for equality in the military.
posted by JimK at 7:02 AM
47 Comments:
Finally able to wed, 11 years later...
DUXBURY, Vt. -- Just as the formal repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy took effect, Navy Lt. Gary Ross and his partner were married before a small group of family and friends.
The two men, who'd been together 11 years, decided to marry in Vermont in part because the state is in the Eastern time zone.
That way, they were able to recite their vows at the stroke of midnight – at the first possible moment after the ban ended.
"I think it was a beautiful ceremony. The emotions really hit me...but it's finally official," Ross said early Tuesday.
Hours before the change, the American military was also making final preparations for the historic policy shift. The Pentagon announced that it was already accepting applications from openly gay candidates, although officials said they would wait a day before reviewing them.
Ross, 33, and Dan Swezy, a 49-year-old civilian, traveled from their home in Tucson, Ariz., so they could get married in Vermont, the first state to allow gays to enter into civil unions and one of six that have legalized same-sex marriage.
Ross wore his dress uniform for the double-ring ceremony that began at 11:45 p.m. Monday at Duxbury's Moose Meadow Lodge, a log cabin bed-and-breakfast perched on a hillside about 15 miles northwest of Montpelier. The lodge says it hosted the state's first gay wedding in 2009.
Justice of the Peace Greg Trulson proclaimed the marriage at exactly midnight.
"This is Gary's official coming out," Trulson said.
Ross and Swezy were joined by close friends and some family members who shared champagne and congratulations with them after the ceremony.
Ross said he plans on having a full career in the military. "We're thrilled the policy is gone," he said of his and Swezy's reaction to the end of "don't ask, don't tell."
Another anti-gay effort bites the dust. The arc of history is long but it bends towards justice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK7QEJGwvJM&feature=player_embedded
"A person's sexual orientation only matters if you are thinking of getting involved in a romantic relationship with them."
so, why do we constantly hear so much about it?
if the pattern holds, gays in the miltary will be constantly trying to draw attention to themselves
we'll see if they can just shut up and do their job
"The two men, who'd been together 11 years, decided to marry in Vermont in part because the state is in the Eastern time zone.
That way, they were able to recite their vows at the stroke of midnight – at the first possible moment after the ban ended."
they could have done it weeks earlier if they just didn't "tell"
face it, these two were trying to get attention
let's hope, going forward, they can just shut up and do their jobs
fat chance, right?
if they don't, perhaps the backlash will occur before January 2013
Hooray for American servicemen and women, and all Americans!
usually, "hooray" is for some type of accomplishment, Roburt
didn't know if your shrink had told you
Anon,
Did you watch the video on the third comment?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK7QEJGwvJM&feature=player_embedded
It focusses on some individual stories of real service members, not just abstractions. Please watch it, and maybe some sense of humanity will touch your heart and your mind.
Hours after the U.S. military repealed Don't Ask Don't Tell, a young American soldier stationed in Germany had something to tell his father.
"Dad, I'm gay," the soldier uttered into his cellphone. "Always have been and always known forever," he adds.
His father's reaction? "I still love you son."
With the entire confession filmed and captured on YouTube, the soldier shows relief after his father assures him it won't change their relationship.
Before mustering up the courage to tell his father, the soldier talks on camera about his fears of coming out to his family -- who he says have no clue.
Watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVAgz6iyK6A&feature=player_embedded
yeah, I saw the youtube of the guy in Germany earlier
seemed like a nice kid, not very gayish acting
what I'm wondering is:
why is the end of DADT triggering stuff like this?
couldn't this guy tell his Dad before?
couldn't the couple get married in Vermont before?
the end of DADT didn't change that
sounds like a PR machine for the gay agenda seizing an opportune moment
of course, maybe if I had a shred of humanity, I wouldn't think that, eh?
"President Obama has hit new lows in the McClatchy-Marist poll on job performance, favorability and his handling of the economy. Compounding the problems for the president, the poll shows a majority of Americans hold a bleak outlook on the nation's unemployment situation.
The McClatchy-Marist poll finds the president's job approval rating at 39 percent among registered voters, while 52 percent disapprove. His grades are lower among independents: 32 percent approve and 57 percent disapprove.
Obama’s personal favorability ratings are upside down: 46 percent view him favorably while 48 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him. Forty percent of independents view him favorably, down 10 points since last month.
The president’s score on the economy has also sunk, with just 33 percent approving and 61 disapproving. His grade has slipped nine points among independents in the past month. Now, 69 percent of independent voters disapprove of the way he is handling with the economy.
Adding to the pressure on the president is the fact that 75 percent of Americans think the country is still in a recession, while 22 percent disagree. Most are pessimistic about it getting better, with 61 percent saying the worst is yet to come. And the overall outlook on the state of the country is negative: 73 percent say the country is headed in the wrong direction while 22 percent feel it is on the right track.
Additionally, 63 percent say the president's recently unveiled jobs plan doesn't go far enough. Most Democrats (78 percent) and independents (59 percent) and the majority of Republicans (54 percent) think Obama's plan should do more to help Americans get back to work. Notably, 77 percent of respondents don't see the unemployment rate getting any better, while only 23 percent see the rate ticking down within the year. Among registered voters, 46 percent think the 9.1 percent unemployment rate will remain unchanged while 23 percent say it will go lower and 31 percent believing it will go higher.
Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress earned poor grades as well. Sixty-three percent of voters disapprove of the job Democrats are doing on Capitol Hill."
"couldn't this guy tell his Dad before?
couldn't the couple get married in Vermont before?"
No, they couldn't. If an active military person wanted to stay in the military, he couldn't do anything to publicize the fact he's gay.
They could only come out and remain in the military only if they waited for DADT to end.
Having a "shred of humanity" has nothing to do with understanding what the repeal of DADT means to gays serving in the military. It means they don't have to hide in the shadows to keep their heroic patriotic jobs.
When are you plannning to fess up and come out to your boss about your unapproved daily blogging on Vigilance and find out if you'll get to keep your job or not?
"Friction about the roles of women in the Obama White House grew intense during the first two years of the president’s tenure amog senior women on his staff.
At a dinner in November 2009, several senior female aides complained directly to the president that men enjoyed greater access to him and often muscled them out of key policy discussions.
The new book “Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President,” by Ron Suskind, says women have occupied many of the West Wing’s senior positions but felt outgunned and outmaneuvered by male colleagues.
The book, based on more than 700 hours of interviews, including one with Obama, quotes a number of top officials describing a difficult work environment for women, due largely to the dominating roles of male officials such as economics adviser Lawrence H. Summers and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.
The acknowledgment Monday by White House officials of discontent among high-level female staffers came even as Obama aides tried to paint the Suskind book as inaccurate.”
"Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said Tuesday that his committee plans to investigate government loan programs to private corporations in light of allegations of improper dealings between the White House and failed energy company Solyndra and wireless start-up LightSquared.
"I want to see when the president and his cronies are picking winners and losers if it was because there were large contributions given to them," the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Tuesday morning."
"Flanked by top Jewish leaders and new GOP congressman Bob Turner, Rick Perry positioned himself as radically different from the Obama administration on Israeli policy in a press conference this morning.
Describing President Obama’s policy toward the Middle East as “appeasement,” Perry empathetically laid the blame for the current bid for Palestinian statehood at the White House’s steps.
“We would not be here today at the precipice of such a dangerous move if the Obama policy in the Middle East wasn’t naïve, arrogant, misguided and dangerous,” he said in New York City hotel about thirty blocks south of the United Nations."
"President Obama's deficit-reduction plan--complete with tax increases on the wealthiest Americans--is set to hit a brick wall in Congress -- even in the Democratically controlled Senate and the bipartisan super committee.
Moderate Senate Democrats are signaling strong resistance to tax increases in the President's deficit-reduction plan, and the early disapproval within his own party will no doubt give Republicans on the deficit super committee plenty of cover to block any and all revenue-raising aspects of Obama's plan.
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) told reporters Monday night that he's put off by all the talk about increasing taxes when he believes the primary and only goal of the deficit super committee should be finding cuts to hack away at the deficit.
"Tax increases have to come second to cutting," he said. "I was just home over the weekend and that's what my constituents were all talking about."
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who represents a state whose economy is dependent on energy production, last week said the offset for Obama's new spending plans, which includes the elimination of oil and gas subsidies, "was not going to fly."
"Terrible," Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) said last week when asked about the president's ideas for how to pay for the $450 billion price tag. "We shouldn't increase taxes on ordinary income. ... There are other ways to get there.""
"No, they couldn't. If an active military person wanted to stay in the military, he couldn't do anything to publicize the fact he's gay."
yeah, well it's actually possible to call your Dad without putting the conversation on youtube
as a matter of fact, that seems kind of inconsiderate to his father
"Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress earned poor grades as well. Sixty-three percent of voters disapprove of the job Democrats are doing on Capitol Hill."
Pathologial lying is demonstrated in the "quoted" comment above.
That paragraph actually reads:
"Meanwhile, both parties in Congress earned poor grades as well. Sixty-seven percent of voters disapprove of the job Republicans are doing on Capitol Hill, and 63 percent disapprove of the Democrats' performance."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/09/20/president_obama_hits_new_low_in_national_poll.html
The GOP in Congress has higher disapproval numbers than Democrats in Congress.
Real Clear Politics informs us that as of today, President Obama still beats every GOP contender for President in 2012.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/president_obama_vs_republican_candidates.html
Thank you, Anonymous GOP supporter, for making clear what and who are the "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them"
oh, sure, no problem
could you explain what lie I told?
the percent of those disapproving of Democrats that I posted is accurate
Obama beats the various Repubs in some polls?
when was the last time you spoke to someone who thinks he's doing a good job?
I live in the last bastion of liberalism, now that Massachusetts replaced Ted Kennedy with a Repub and Brooklyn replaced Anthony "Look at Me Now" Weiner with a Repub, and I never hear anyone say anything good aboout him
I will say that last week, I drove past his motorcade when he went to Back-to-School night for his daughter in Bethesda and they didn't shut down the whole road the way some Presdients have
so, we do appreciate that
but, otherwise, he's not going to win any popularity contests anywhere
"women have occupied many of the West Wing’s senior positions but felt outgunned and outmaneuvered by male colleagues"
Feelings,
nothing more than feelings,
trying to forget my
feelings of love.
Teardrops
rolling down on my face,
trying to forget my
feelings of love.
Feelings,
for all my life I'll feel it.
I wish I've never met you, girl; you'll never come again.
Feelings,
wo-o-o feelings, wo-o-o,
feel you again in my arms.
Feelings,
feelings
like I've never lost you
and
feelings
like I've never have you again in my heart.
Feelings,
for all my life I'll feel it.
I wish I've never met you, girl; you'll never come again.
Feelings,
feelings like I've never lost you
and
feelings
like I've never have you again in my life.
Feelings,
wo-o-o feelings, wo-o-o,
feelings again in my arms. Feelings...(repeat & fade)
"Describing President Obama’s policy toward the Middle East as “appeasement,” Perry empathetically laid the blame for the current bid for Palestinian statehood at the White House’s steps."
That's cuz Perry's dumb. Everyone who keeps up with the international news (not Perry, that's for sure!) knows what emboldened the Palestinians:
"January 10, 2006
According to Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Israel has agreed under heavy pressure by the Bush Administration to Palestinian voting in East Jerusalem. This extraordinary step taken by Bush indicates little regard for Israeli sovereignity or its government.
The Bush Administration took advantage of the leadership vacuum in the Israeli government to take the unprecendented step of issuing a presidential guarantee to the Palestinians that all the Palestinian parties running for election on Jan 25 would be allowed to campaign openly in East Jerusalem, eligible voters in the city would be permitted to cast their votes through local post offices, and the voter slips of all Palestinian parties without exception would be available in the balloting booths.
This was presented to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as a done deal,and was not cleared with the Israeli government beforehand."
BREAKING NEWS:
A new poll shows Elizabeth Warren beating Republican Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts! 46% to 44% after just one week!
"That's cuz Perry's dumb. Everyone who keeps up with the international news (not Perry, that's for sure!) knows what emboldened the Palestinians"
the Jewish voters in NYC must be dumb too
they think it's Obama's fault
it was a key reason they supported for the Repub
"A new poll shows Elizabeth Warren beating Republican Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts! 46% to 44% after just one week!"
I guess if you're a Dem, you got to party over small blips
that battle ax won't wear well
"Feelings,
nothing more than feelings"
Obama must love this sexist mockery of women
he'll pay the price for his ways at the polls
"A new poll shows Elizabeth Warren beating Republican Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts! 46% to 44% after just one week!"
hey, remember when McCain picked Palin
they were ahead in the polls "after just one week!"
for the last time
the ripples from a new splash die out soon enough
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
"WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says he wants to make sure millionaires are taxed at higher rates than their secretaries. The data say they already are.
"Warren Buffett's secretary shouldn't pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett. There is no justification for it," Obama said as he announced his deficit-reduction plan this week. "It is wrong that in the United States of America, a teacher or a nurse or a construction worker who earns $50,000 should pay higher tax rates than somebody pulling in $50 million."
On average, the wealthiest people in America pay a lot more taxes than the middle class or the poor, according to private and government data. They pay at a higher rate, and as a group, they contribute a much larger share of the overall taxes collected by the federal government.
The 10 percent of households with the highest incomes pay more than half of all federal taxes. They pay more than 70 percent of federal income taxes, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
There may be individual millionaires who pay taxes at rates lower than middle-income workers. In 2009, 1,470 households filed tax returns with incomes above $1 million yet paid no federal income tax, according to the Internal Revenue Service. But that's less than 1 percent of the nearly 237,000 returns with incomes above $1 million.
This year, households making more than $1 million will pay an average of 29.1 percent of their income in federal taxes, including income taxes, payroll taxes and other taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.
Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 will pay an average of 15 percent of their income in federal taxes.
Lower-income households will pay less. For example, households making between $40,000 and $50,000 will pay an average of 12.5 percent of their income in federal taxes. Households making between $20,000 and $30,000 will pay 5.7 percent.
The latest IRS figures are a few years older – and limited to federal income taxes – but show much the same thing. In 2009, taxpayers who made $1 million or more paid on average 24.4 percent of their income in federal income taxes, according to the IRS.
Those making $100,000 to $125,000 paid on average 9.9 percent in federal income taxes. Those making $50,000 to $60,000 paid an average of 6.3 percent."
"Obama's claim hinges on the fact that, for high-income families and individuals, investment income is often taxed at a lower rate than wages. The top tax rate for dividends and capital gains is 15 percent. The top marginal tax rate for wages is 35 percent, though that is reserved for taxable income above $379,150.
With tax rates that high, why do so many people pay at lower rates? Because the tax code is riddled with more than $1 trillion in deductions, exemptions and credits, and they benefit people at every income level, according to data from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, Congress' official scorekeeper on revenue issues.
The Tax Policy Center estimates that 46 percent of households, mostly low- and medium-income households, will pay no federal income taxes this year. Most, however, will pay other taxes, including Social Security payroll taxes.
"People who are doing quite well and worry about low-income people not paying any taxes bemoan the fact that they get so many tax breaks that they are zeroed out," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center. "People at the bottom of the distribution say, `But all of those rich guys are getting bigger tax breaks than we're getting,' which is also the case."
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was pressed at a White House briefing on the number of millionaires who pay taxes at a lower rate than middle-income families. He demurred, saying that people who make most of their money in wages pay taxes at a higher rate, while those who get most of their income from investments pay at lower rates.
"So it really depends on what is your profession, where's the source of your income, what's the specific circumstances you face, and the averages won't really capture that," Geithner said."
"WASHINGTON -- One of the experts who attended President Obama’s Rose Garden deficit speech is hammering the White House Tuesday, saying the president is using a bogus standard to show savings when really his plan leaves the deficit in worse shape.
David Walker, former U.S. Comtroller General, initially released a positive statement, praising Obama for focusing on some pressing deficit drivers.
But that was before he had a chance to read the fine print, and see where the numbers were coming from, he said.
"I was shocked and saddened to find out that they have created their own baseline for determining savings," Walker said. "If you enacted all of their proposals, you would be significantly worse off in 2021 than if the Congress and the president just went on a 10-year vacation.""
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
yesterday, I said:
"if the pattern holds, gays in the miltary will be constantly trying to draw attention to themselves
we'll see if they can just shut up and do their job"
well, it didn't take long
this morning, activists are quoted in the paper that they want to shift focus to gaining marital benefits for unmarried same gender partners in the military and the problems faced by transgendered soldiers
now that the camel has its nose under the tent, the military will never hear the end of it
whenever, you take homosexuality out of the closet, it gets out of control
for example, now that there are gay classes in public schools, the floodgates have opened
the kids can't get away from it
here's the typical morning announcements:
"hey kids, come to the Gay-Straight Alliance after schools and learn more about "others""
"what sexual orienation are you? stop by the counseling office for a test"
"next Tuesday will be the school's offical cross-dressing day so ask your Mom if you can borrow some clothes"
"all homerooms will be shown a movie today highlighting the tremendous problem of bullying of gays in public schools"
"come to the cafeteria at lunch where a panel of students will answer questions from the audience, which will then vote on what sexual orientation the panelists are"
"Friday is the day when those who support gay rights will not speak to anyone all day. We request that those who oppose gay rights be respectful of their fellow students"
"any students interested in planning for Gay History Month, please attend a steering committee after school"
"Homecoming Queen John Doe will be performing a harp recital benefit to benefit AIDS research Saturday afternoon"
yada, yada, yada...
why can't gay soldiers just shut up and do their jobs?
hey, guess who opposes Obama's tax plan
charities that work with the poor
turns out that most of their donors are wealthy and the charities are afraid that the wealthy won't be able to give as much if they can't deduct it
they may worry too much but their concerns reveal an important truth
not only is most of our government funded by the wealthy, so is our vast network of private beneficent charitable organizations
these are the people Obama wants to start a simple math war on
let's not forget the huge endowments for the arts made bythe wealthy
also, most educational institutions give sizable financial assistance to low income students and make up for it by charging kids from wealthy families larcenous tuition rates
Obama's not the only one that thinks the wealthy should be supporting him
"the ripples from a new splash die out soon enough"
They sure do, just ask Scott Brown.
"March 15, 2011
A poll out this week from Wester New England College finds that a majority of registered voters in deep blue Massachusetts give Brown good marks on his job approval. In addition, Brown tops a couple of potential Democratic challengers in head-to-head matchups.
Fifty-seven percent of registered voters said they approve of Brown's job performance, while only one-quarter said they disapproved...
In hypothetical 2012 contest, Brown led ... Elizabeth Warren -- the Harvard professor and liberal favorite for her support of stricter financial regulation -- by a comfortable 51% to 34%. "
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/poll-scott-brown-in-great-shape-heading-into-2012-reelection-campaign.php
"9/20/11
WASHINGTON -- Less than a week after Democrat Elizabeth Warren launched her campaign for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, a new automated poll shows her running neck-and-neck with incumbent Republican Scott Brown.
The new survey, conducted by the Democratic-affiliated firm Public Policy Polling (PPP), gives Warren a slight edge over Brown (46 to 44 percent) among likely voters. The two-point gap between the candidates falls well within the survey's 3.5 percent margin of error.
The results come as something of a surprise, given that two live-interviewer polls conducted in late August showed Brown comfortably ahead."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/20/ppp-poll-elizabeth-warren-scott-brown-massachusetts_n_972058.html
"now that there are gay classes in public schools, the floodgates have opened
the kids can't get away from it
here's the typical morning announcements:
...why can't gay soldiers just shut up and do their jobs?"
How many gay soldiers do you imagine are in MCPS high schools? Nice fiction writing for your false "morning announcements." Here are some of this week's actual morning announcements posted at one MCPS HS, Einstein:
"High School Plus Classes will meet today at 2:30. Registered students are expected to attend."
"Students who are participating in the Yearbook Fundraiser: your order and money must be turned in by this Friday to Ms. H!
This week is the FALL YEARBOOK SALE! Get your yearbook for only $65!"
"The Debate Team will be meeting on Wednesday, after school, in Ms. H's Room. Plan to attend with one case and your season partner, since we will be locking the roster. See you there!"
"The International Honors Council will have its first meeting of the year in Room 250 during lunch. The meeting will begin at 11:10 so that you can bring your lunch. If you have any questions, see Ms. D or Mr. G. New members are welcome!"
"During Hispanic Heritage Month we take time to look at the lives of different Hispanic Americans who have made a difference. One such person is Jaime Escalante. He was born in 1930 in Bolivia. Both of his parents were teachers. He too became a teacher. In 1960 he left his homeland to come to the US in search of a better life. Once he got here, he had to learn English and earn another degree before going back to the classroom. In 1973 he took a job in East LA teaching Math in a very poor school to students who had been dismissed as unteachable. He strove to get his students to live up to their potential and started an advanced math group with them. In 1982 his students passed the AP test. The testing company thought they had cheated and so the students had to take the test twice. The movie about his life is called Stand and Deliver."
http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/einsteinhs/templates/default.aspx?id=195318
and
http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/einsteinhs/templates/default.aspx?id=195821
Breaking from Newsmax.com
"Business as Usual in Military as Gay Ban Ends
WASHINGTON — After years of debate and months of final preparations, the military can no longer prevent gays from serving openly in its ranks.
Repeal of a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private took effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
Some in Congress still oppose the change, but top Pentagon leaders have certified that it will not undermine the military's ability to recruit or to fight wars.
The Army was distributing a business-as-usual statement Tuesday saying simply, "The law is repealed," and reminding soldiers to treat each other fairly.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, scheduled a Pentagon news conference to field questions about the repeal. And a bipartisan group of congressional supporters of allowing openly gay service planned a news conference on Capitol Hill.
Gay advocacy groups planned a series of celebrations across the country.
Pentagon press secretary George Little said Monday that the military is adequately prepared for the end of the current policy, commonly known as "don't ask, don't tell," under which gays can serve as long as they don't openly acknowledge their sexual orientation and commanders are not allowed to ask.
"No one should be left with the impression that we are unprepared. We are prepared for repeal," Little said.
Last week, the Pentagon said 97 percent of the military has undergone training in the new law.
For weeks the military services have accepted applications from openly gay recruits, while waiting for repeal to take effect before processing the applications.
With the lifting of the ban, the Defense Department will publish revised regulations to reflect the new law allowing gays to serve openly. The revisions, such as eliminating references to banned homosexual service, are in line with policy guidance that was issued by top Pentagon officials in January, after Obama signed the legislation that did away with the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
The lifting of the 18-year-old ban also brings a halt to all pending investigations, discharges and other administrative proceedings that were begun under the Clinton-era law.
Existing standards of personal conduct, such as those pertaining to public displays of affection, will continue regardless of sexual orientation.
There also will be no immediate changes to eligibility standards for military benefits. All service members already are entitled to certain benefits and entitlements, such as designating a partner as one's life insurance beneficiary or as designated caregiver in the Wounded Warrior program.
Gay marriage is one of the thornier issues. An initial move by the Navy earlier this year to train chaplains about same-sex civil unions in states where they are legal was halted after more than five dozen lawmakers objected. The Pentagon is reviewing the issue.
Service members who were discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" law will be allowed to re-enlist, but their applications will not be given priority over those of any others with prior military experience who are seeking to re-enlist.
Some in Congress remain opposed to repeal, arguing that it may undermine order and discipline.
A leading advocate, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, said Monday the repeal is overdue.
"Our nation will finally close the door on a fundamental unfairness for gays and lesbians, and indeed affirm equality for all Americans," the California Democrat said."
lunatic fringe advocates never think the door is closed
they always have new issues to whine about, as they've already demonstrated
I didn't say the gay-related announcements at schools were the only announcements
just gave some examples
like the guy yesterday who called his Dad to tell him he's gay but filmed the whole and posted it on youtube, gays are always looking to bring attention to their preference
How about it, Jim? Half the posts on this thread are more of bad anonymous's off topic political rants. You said you'd delete them, please do so.
Jim, if you're you'd like some help in moderating bad anonymous's verbal diarrhea I'd be happy to help you do it.
nasty Priya
conversations have a life
Obama and the Dems are responsible for unleasing homosexuality on the military so their political fortunes are very appropos to be discussed here
btw, I thought you said you weren't going to comment here anymore
remember this pleasant addition to the conversation by nasty Priya last week?
"Bad anonymous said "we can later discuss why you can't extrapolate the entire population to prove that trans that stroll through southeast DC at two in the morning are victims of hate crimes when attacked".
As I've proven it is statisitically impossible that none of these were hate crimes. Statistics bad anonymous - learn them. You'll give up just like you did before when you're hopelessly overwhelmed with the facts. Why don't you repost the same old comments I already dispatched with - that'll show 'em!
LOL, take your own advice loser."
yesterday, the D.C. police dept announced that they had concluded that this incident was a crime of opportunity and not a hate crime
I saw the victim's gay lover on the news last night admitting that the police were probably right
how did I know?
because nasty Priya, I live here and know that no sane person would be walking alone in any part of non-NW DC in the wee hours of the morning
straight people know that and avoid such areas while gays go out there, asserting their rights, and demanding a police squad to protect them from their bad decision-making
it's an old story but, suffice it to say, yeah, it's a hate crime
those perps hate everyone who is available, including guys dressed like dolls
now don't you feel a liiiittttle embarassed?
President Barack Obama’s debt reduction plan could be titled, The Audacity of Duplicity.
According to Obama, he is proposing $4 trillion in debt reduction over the next 10 years, with there being $2 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax increases.
Where to begin?
Half of the president’s claimed debt reduction comes from policies already in place. Obama says $1 trillion will be saved by winding down the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In other words, Obama wants credit for reducing debt that was never going to be incurred.
Another $1 trillion is from the agreement that was reached to increase the debt ceiling. But that agreement didn’t really reduce the debt by $1 trillion. It simply adopted future spending caps that would have that effect. However, there were no new laws adopted that would actually reduce spending. The caps are unenforceable promises to do something unspecific in the future.
Obama is actually only proposing $2.1 trillion in new stuff. Of that, nearly $1.6 trillion is increased taxes. So, he’s actually proposing $3 in tax increases for every $1 in spending cuts.
But that still doesn’t tell the real story. The “spending cuts” aren’t really all spending cuts. They are just things other than tax increases, and there’s over $135 billion in fee increases. Those may be warranted, but they aren’t spending cuts.
So, Obama actually is proposing over $1.7 trillion in additional federal revenue, making the ratio $4 in increased taxes and fees for every $1 in spending cuts.
But that still doesn’t tell the whole story. Obama, of course, is purposing increased stimulus spending now. Net, Obama is only proposing to decrease actual federal spending by about $245 billion over 10 years. So, the real ratio is $7 in increased taxes and fees for every $1 in actual spending cuts.
In short, Obama has proposed a massive tax increase while doing very little to control federal spending.
The bulk of the tax increases, $1.2 trillion, fall on individuals making over $200,000 a year. Supposedly, their tax treatment would only be returned to the levels prevailing during the Clinton prosperity, but that’s another bit of duplicity.
Obama proposes that the top two tax rates be returned to Clinton-era levels, but doesn’t stop there. He would also limit the deductions they take, which wasn’t the case during the Clinton bliss. And his health care bill already socked this group with an increase in payroll taxes of nearly 1 percent on wage income and an investment income tax increase of nearly 4 percent.
In short, Obama is advocating tax rates for those earning more than $200,000 a year much higher than the Clinton-era rates, which Bill Clinton himself described as too high.
This is supposedly so millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share. According to the Tax Policy Center, the top 1 percent of tax filers has 16 percent of the country’s income, but pay 24 percent of all federal taxes and 35 percent of federal individual income taxes.
According to Obama mythology, millionaires and billionaires pay lower tax rates than average Jacks and Jills. According to the Tax Policy Center, the top 1 percent pays 18 percent of their income in federal income taxes. The middle quintile pays less than 3 percent. Those below that actually get more money back than they pay in.
Obama seems really worked up over the fact that investment income is taxed at a lower rate than wage income. But that’s not really the case. Dividends are taxed at the corporate level before they are distributed to individuals, when they are taxed again. Capital gains are taxed on their nominal value, ignoring the effect of intervening inflation.
If Obama were truly interested in a bipartisan down payment on debt reduction, he could have anchored his proposal in the recommendations of his debt commission. The debt commission, however, recommended about half of what Obama proposes in additional federal revenue and raised in a way that lowers rates across the board, including for millionaires and billionaires.
Obama’s interests, however, clearly lie elsewhere.
The German model of high taxes and autere budget cuts has keep their economy the strongest in Europe.
President Obama is smart to follow that model.
WaPo reported
"All the benefits come with a price: tax bills that are the second highest in Europe, and a nagging sense of economic insecurity, because of the flat pay and the new low-wage jobs, amid the outwardly robust economy.
Average German workers send almost 40 cents of every euro they earn to the taxman, according to OECD figures — nearly double that in the United States, and well above France and Britain as well."
Germany spends a fraction of what we do on military spending because we defend them.
If we cut our spending to their level, we could make college free in America.
There are other significant distinctions between out situations but if any TTFers want to move to Germany, no one's stopping you.
"President Obama is smart to follow that model."
yes, we see every day what a genius he is
I don't think he's following a model though
he learned in college that America was a bad place where rich people exploit the proletariat, and, having never had a real job, he never really advanced beyond that type of thinking
"model of high taxes and autere budget cuts"
it's the 21st century
for heaven's sake, use your spellcheck!
"Anonymous"
There is no end to your crying and hair-pulling to express your bigoted thoughts about people who you manage to hate (although, to be fair, it's probably not difficult for you).
"of course, maybe if I had a shred of humanity, I wouldn't think that, eh?"...but...you don't have a shred of humanity!"
"yeah, well it's actually possible to call your Dad without putting the conversation on youtube...as a matter of fact, that seems kind of inconsiderate to his father" Seems like you love to "put your conversations" here! Rather inconsiderate! BTW...have you been able to come out of your bigot closet to your Dad yet?
"why can't gay soldiers just shut up and do their jobs?" What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Why don't you just shut up? The point has already been cogently made about "doing your job" (Unless you are a paid hack to come to this blog site and spew your hatred) What DOES your boss have to say about the inordinate time you spend here blasting your harrangues against all of humanity?
"lunatic fringe advocates...always have new issues to whine about..."
BINGO...you described yourself to a "T" (or is that a "Tea Bagger"?)
"I live here and know that no sane person would be walking alone in any part of non-NW DC in the wee hours of the morning." And now you have uncloseted your true racist feelings...they go nicely with your bigoted homophobia!
You are more obsessed with homosexuality than anyone I have met in my life. Let it go, boy...maybe you will then begin to live a really true Christian life.
"There is no end to your crying and hair-pulling to express your bigoted thoughts about people who you manage to hate (although, to be fair, it's probably not difficult for you)"
crying and hair-pulling?
manage to hate?
could you go into some detail?
"...but...you don't have a shred of humanity!"
and why do you say that?
"Seems like you love to "put your conversations" here! Rather inconsiderate! BTW...have you been able to come out of your bigot closet to your Dad yet?"
that soldier, and I understand they have a name now, was rather rude to his father by taping a private conversation and putting it on public display
as a matter of fact, if he had been in Maryland, he would have been committing a crime
interestingly, I read later, after I put that comment up, that the father is, in fact, upset with his son for putting the conversation on the internet
I also read that he later called his mother and the conversation didn't go as well
sounds pretty funny
"What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Why don't you just shut up?"
I'm only responding
these homosexuals constantly want their sexual preferences to be a topic of discussion
the military will dealing with issues tangential to this, in perpetuity
they've already started
"BINGO...you described yourself to a "T" (or is that a "Tea Bagger"?)"
I'm only reacting to lunatic whining, not initiating any dialogue
"And now you have uncloseted your true racist feelings...they go nicely with your bigoted homophobia!"
crime stats are colorblind
I'm not a racist in any sense
sounds like there is a sense in which you are
"You are more obsessed with homosexuality than anyone I have met in my life."
that is what this blog is about, you know
"Let it go, boy...maybe you will then begin to live a really true Christian life."
please do describe the "really true" Christian life for us
You only feel safe in NWDC??
You can't bring your whiteness to visit Catholic University in NEDC, or to go see a Nationals game in SEDC, huh?
The precision drill marching teams, with and without fixed bayonets, are fantastic at the parade grounds at the Marine Barracks in SEDC.
Too bad you're too much of a chicken shit to go check it out!
"You only feel safe in NWDC??"
hmmm...I seem to recall saying this:
"no sane person would be walking alone in any part of non-NW DC in the wee hours of the morning"
"You can't bring your whiteness to visit Catholic University in NEDC,"
I guess avoiding any dangerous section of town that happens to be predominantly black is racist to you, huh?
don't what colorness you are but go ahead and walk around alone at 2 a.m. in that area
let us know how it turns out
"or to go see a Nationals game in SEDC, huh?"
tell you what...
at two in the morning tonight, leave the stadium by yourself, walk a few blocks toward the Navy Yard, take a left and walk twenty blocks toward the Hawk and Dove
be sure to wear a dress so you can call the inevitable, a hate crime
"Too bad you're too much of a chicken shit to go check it out!"
bizarre
just can't admit the individual was attacked because they didn't use good judgment, can you?
"The German model of high taxes and autere budget cuts has keep their economy the strongest in Europe"
Germany does well because it's corporate tax burden is low
no matter how much corporations make, the most they pay is 15%
they thus have money to invest in opportunities that produce income and jobs
Obama's corporate rate rises quickly rises to 35%
how can we compete?
let's have Barack Obama follow the German corporate tax model
call him, write him, e-mail him...and vote against him if he doesn't
"Germany does well because it's corporate tax burden is low
no matter how much corporations make, the most they pay is 15%"
I don't know where you get your "facts" from, but you are wrong about your claim of what is "the most" German corporations pay in taxes.
"In addition to regular tax, there is a municipal trade tax of 14%-17% that is imposed by the municipality.
The standard rate of Germany corporate tax in 2011 is 15%. There is a reduced rate for part of a corporation's income.
An additional tax has been imposed to help the merger of the two Germanys. This is "solidarity tax" which is 5.5% of the normal rate payable. The tax is levied on corporations and individuals, subject to the conditions specified in the law.
In 2011 the effective corporate tax rate, including trade tax and solidarity tax is about 30%-33%."
http://www.worldwide-tax.com/germany/germany_tax.asp
There is a 19% VAT tax on top of that.
Any German individual who makes more than 52,882 Euros/year pays 42-45 percent in tax on every euro they earn.
Companies that can't afford to pay their workers are able to get money from the German government to pay workers rather than lay them off.
There's plenty to learn from the German success during this recession, but you won't learn anything without knowing the facts.
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